“Zaïs” was Rameau’s first opera which was entirely devoted to “la féerie”, the enchanted world of myth from the Middle East with its spirits and fantastic creatures. It was first performed on 29 February 1748 at the Paris Opera and was much praised for its expressive power, elegance and variety of its music as well as for the charm of its ballet. Although the libretto by Louis de Cahusac was criticised, the delightful work proved very popular: it was revived in 1761 and 1769 and for more than tw...